Clover hulling and cleaning attachment for combines



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O//ver Boyer mount my attachment.

Patented Apr. 7, 1953 s PATENT OFFICE CLOVER HULLING CLEANING ATTACH-MENT FOR COMBINES Oliver Boyer, Spencerville, Ohio, assigner ofonefourth to Philip E. Siggers, Sr., Wilmington,

Del.

Application June 7, 1946, Serial No. 675,047

(Cl. ISU-2) 3 Claims.

This invention relates to attachments for combines and its generalobject is to provide an attachment which will save much of the cloverseed now wasted by commercial combines. The invention is also useful forsaving alfalfa seed.

Objects are to provide an attachment for combines which is fullyautomatic, is -adjustable to different conditions, is easily assembledupon and removed from the combine by one man, and prevents clogging ofthe combine by being overloaded with litter and clover seed.

vAnother object is to provide an attachment for combines which collectsthe ragweed seed so that the latter may subsequently be destroyed. Afurther object is to provide a combine attachment which necessitatespractically no alteration in the combine itself in order to be installedand ,operate satisfactorily. Another object is to provide a combineattachment which will deliver very clean seed free from ragweed seed.

l Referring to the accompanying drawings showf ing a preferredembodiment of the invention- Fig. l `is a somewhat diagrammaticsectional Y elevation of the attachment;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of one of the sieves or shaker screens;

Fig. 3 is a detail in side elevation, showing one ofthe blast-modifyingfins of the sieve or screen of Fig. 2 on approximately full size scale;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail in plan of one of the screen cloths;

Fig. 5 isa side elevation of the attachment shown at the side of aMassey-Harris combine,

the latter being indicated in dot and dash lines and only so much beingshown as to enable those familiar with such machines to properly p Fig.6 is a diagrammatic view showing the relative relation of certain of thedriving belts and Lpulleys with which the attachment is actuated fromthepower mechanism of the combine. 1 Referring particularly to thedrawings, vthe i *Massey-Harris combine is generally designated by theletter C (Fig. 5) and may be considered as vit is driven by a belt lladirect from the combine power shaft II (Fig. 1) which is a transverseshaft near the bottom of the combine and about midway between its frontand rear ends.

- lIhe combine is self-propelled and one of its rubbers-tired rearwheels by which it is driven is indi- 'cated at I2. f 1

Now referring to Fig. l, the attachment consists of a rigid frame I3 ofangle iron or the like which supports the attachment at the side of thecombine and permits it to be removed as a unit. Only part of this frameis shown, but in general it may be said that the frame is open though itencloses the attachment except at the top, where the litter is receivedfor processing, and at the spout end where the ragweed seed is deliveredto a bag B. Aplatform I4 (Fig. 5) is preferably rigidly secured to theframe I3 to provide a support for the bag B (Fig. 1). Vwhich collectsthe ragweed seed. If desired, an operator or attendant may stand on theplatform I4 while the machine is in operation or while it is temporarilystopped to permit removal of one full bag and. the attachment of anempty bag. The usual bag-holding device (not shown) will secure theragweed seed bag to the delivery spout of the attachment so that none ofthe ragweed seed may be scattered on the ground.

The attachment further includes a hopper I5 closed at the top whichreceives litter, bits of straw and unhulled clover seed direct from thecombine.` In other words, all the clover seed (or alfalfa seed) whichthe combine would normally process is diverted to my attachment. Thehopper I5, which is at the upper end of the attachment, has downwardlyconverging bottom walls IB, Il and between said walls adjacent thedelivery end of the hopper is a beater I8, which is merely apower-rotated feed device consisting of about four radial vanes or armsrigidly xed to a shaft I9. The beater I8 prevents choking as it forcesthe material `in the hopper down v through the constricted throat ordelivery end of the hopper and against the rotary cylinder 20, where theseed is hulled. The cylinder 20 comprises a metal, cylindrical, hollowshell mounted on a shaft 2 I which has adjustable bearings (not shown)and is driven by a pulley 22 on the inner or combine end, said pulleyderiving its power from belt Ila. The outer surface of the cylindricalshell 2U is completely covered with staggered rows of rasp teeth 25,each about 1% in. tall and all pointed in one direction, which is moreor less tangential to the outer surface of the cylinder. The points ofthese rasp teeth 4are fairly sharp and are but slightly spaced from thesimilar teeth 26 on a so-called concave 21. Fig. 1 exaggerates thespacing between. these parts. y The concave is a semi-cylindrical orconcave stationary toothed member cooperating "remove hulls from theclover or alfalfa seed. It

and debris of the operation, is deliveredjhrough j,

the throat 28 to a shaking screen to be described, and directly adjacentthis"throat is iah'inged door 29 whose lower end may be raisedat'anytime by the operator, or partly-:raised:ifzdesired,

and held in adjusted positionb'y a leverffarmi (not shown) passing overa notched quadrant, or by some similar mechanical-expedient. .In-theevent the feed is choked by an excessive volume of litter, the hingeddoor 29 will be found'very convenient.

`.The shaking screen according vtofrny.experi yence must be a doublescreen, with a coarse 1 respective iscreens. .Lbendableimetalto permitvarying their angles forations "of the screens. of"`the"directed blastand the shaking screens direct the air toward the areas of the screenswhich seem to have a tendency to clog, under the conditions in thefield. The blast is further modified by fixed transverse ns 42 which areon the bottom of each screen and extend at angles of about 45 to thegeneral planes of the l.'Iheseffins j42 Ymay be of or their angles maybe adjusted by means of shims (not shown) or in other ways. These finscatch the blast and direct it up through the per- The combined action.positively prevents^clogging of the screens, yet

screen above and a ne screen below. Except Vfurthe sizes of the holes,both screens are sim- .-ilarin construction, each consisting ofperforated sheet metal 30 (Fig. 4) fixed as by screws Sorthe like tothetop of a'rectangular frame 3|, -Iwhichl may be of wood ormetal,.having a central rib 31a-(Fig. 2) extending fromend to end, to

which theperforated sheet should .also beat- :i

-tached .The upper screen 32 is ne enough to icatch'all the litter butit is coarseenough -to permit all the ragweed seed and clover or alfalfa.seed toipass through. The fine screen-33 is .directly below andparallel to the coarsel screen or sieve, and its pei'forations aresuchthat the ragweed seed cannot passthrough but the clover :seed (oralfalfa seed) can. Both screens or sieves 32, 33 arerigidly securedtogether (though .separately removable at will as for cleaning) and bothare supported by a' parallel motion. linkage iconsisting of at leastfourparallel links 34'. (two `oneach side), the upperv ends of saidlinks -being ,pivotally mounted on a horizontal part .of therigidL-frame I3 and the lower ends of the links ".being-pivotallysecured tothe `upperrscreen-32- -Alpa'iruofarms 35 are each fixed at oneend to la'riddle. shoe 35a andat the other end'each arm fissupportedupon av power-operatedcrankshaft :36'1with an off-center connection toYarm `35 t0 ggivea small throw, say about 1/8 orY 1/4 in., during leachrevolution ofthe crankshaft. Theriddle shoe 35a.is a smoothpiece ofsheetiron -which ts around and yis slightly. spaced from the blower 'housing39. `The screens and riddle shoe vibrate "or Shake as a unit. Theconstructionand action will Vbe readily understood without detailed.illus- .tration. Thus duringoperation of the attach- 'ment .the twoscreens are s shaken rapidly back z-and.. forth, whichprevents cloggingand helps "to secure the separationof.the-different kinds of :.seedwhich is essential for successful operation of the machine. The trashVandlitter arepartly blown offand partly shakenv off-thetop or coarsescreenl 32 andifall to ytheground aslthescombine.

atento adjust the. positionsofthe VaneSand-ihus.;

lperrnits theessential separation of the seeds described above.

Directly below the ne screen 33 is an inclined slidev or"'apron43 downwhich the clean clover .,seedgor alfalfa seed slides until it reachesthe seed spout 44. The seed in the seed spout simply :gravitates `towardthe .,combine, and. is delivered tothe seed elevator l0, by-which itV iscarried up to the seed bin at the top of thecombine.

'The ragweed seedfas already mentioned, cannot pass throughthelowerscreen and hence is moved along by the combined-action. oftheblast and the shaking .untilit reachesaspout `45, where it` fallsintdthelbag or sackB. .I consider this removal ftheragweedseed-.as.essen tial in a'device of this character.

The drive and operation ofthe various parts may be understood. from thefollowing description. .Belts llis .driven by .the power shaft Il of thecombine and'drivesa 4pulleyon theshaft .2 l .of the. cylinder, on .fthe.end .next-to the. combine. On the opposite. end (the left end.as theparts are viewed in Fig. 5) shaft 2| carries an- .other pulley -45(Figs.5..and `6) over which a beltfl is trained. Belt 46 drives theblower 3l' through its shaft 38. and. a` smaller pulley Alil; hence.the.blower rotates. ata higher speed. than the cylinder. A smallpulley48 .on...the' blower vshaft'38 drives` a largepulley'Q onthetcrankshaft36 by means of.a.be1t`5, sothat thecrankshaft .has a muchslower,rotation than the blower. A small pulley l also. on .thecrankshaft drives a .large pulley 52`by meansof a belt'53,

andmpulleyV 52 [drives the `shaft I9 of the'. beater. Finally, apulley54 onthelbeater shaft and a .crossed belt 55 drive.a,.p1lley56 topperatea conveyor "51 which delivers "the1litter vand unhulled. seed. from thelcombine to the' hopper l5.

By actual tests, lthedesc'ribed attachment will save one-fourth of"theclover seed wasted'by .a commercial combine. V'I have obtained '140bushels of clean clover seed. off f 35 acres, with the aid of thedescribed -attachment 'When working with alfalfa seed, whichgrindsupmuch more .easilyfthan clover seed, the cylinder isnecessarilyladjusted differently. My` .attachment will save up to"50'%of. alfalfa seed as compared with the yield of a commercial combine."Probably "the attachment maybev used 'successfully when workingwithotherseedsgiand'I'do. not'wish to be limited'to cl'overandalfalfa seeds."Iseek protection' in' the appended'claims commensurate with'4the'importance` of. the invention.

"'What'rclaimiis: 4lf'The combination with a combine'having .powermeans'j for drivinglthe mechanism thereof and .having atlone sidethereof conveying means including an `inlet hopper for receivinaunhlledseed and litter from the combine, means for separatingy and cleaning theseed, a spout for discharging clean seed from the thresher, and means.comprising an open frame detachably securedat the side of the combine onwhich unhulled seed delivering means and clean seed elevating mechanismare located, for supporting the thresher with its inlet hopper inreceiving relation Ito the unhulled seed delivering mechanismof thecombine, and with its discharge spout in operative relation to the seedelevating mechanism of the combine, and means operatively connected tothe power means of the combine for driving the separating and cleaningmechanism ofthe thresher unit. Y

2. .The invention claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for separatingand cleaning the seed comprises a rotary seed-hulling cylinder, aconcave stationary toothed member co-operating with ,the rotary cylinderto loosen and remove hulls` 4from the seed, a shaking screen sopositionedfas to receive all the seed and littervand debris from thecooperating cylinder and concavo, a blower directing a blast of air upthrough said screenfthe litter and debris being partly blown oi andpartly shaken oi the upper part of the screen and falling to the groundas the combine travels in a eld, and means for collecting ragweed seedfrom the discharge end of the screen.

3. The invention claimed in 'claim 1, wherein the means for separatingand cleaning the seed comprises a seed-hulling mechanism below the inlethopper, a shaking screen so positioned as to receive all the seed andlitter and debris from said seed-hulling mechanism, a blower. meansdirecting the blast of air from the blower up through said screen, thelitter and debris being partly blown off and partly shaken off the upperpart of the screen and falling to the ground as the combine travels ina. iield, the seed gravitating to said spout in a path below the blastof air, and means for collecting ragweed seed from the discharge end ofthe screen.

OLIVER BOYER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 182,318 Lippy et al Sept. 19,1876 393,613 Burfeind Nov. 27, 1888 418,430 Wetsell Dec. 31. 1889633,923 Sutton Sept. 26, 1899 688,823 Bowers Dec. 17, 1901 710.981Jessep Oct. 14, 1902 997,641 Thomson July 11, 1911 1,126,288 Rumely etal. Jan. 26, 1915 1,651,641 Spurr Dec. 6, 1927 1,730,690 Sawin Oct. 8,1929 1,793,385 Boyer Feb. 17, 1931

